Gif Link
“LUNAR KNIGHTS!” Shifting bellowed, trotting to stand in front of his personal Squad. The rest of the Night Guard were deployed throughout the mountain fortress quickly securing all entrances.
“We have received intelligence reports than enemies are charging up some rather nasty runes, most likely large teleportation spells. Everyone is to fortify all entrances and exits and prepare for immediate attack. Button up the entire facility and switch over to independent systems. I don’t even want a gnat to be able to wander in here. How do you copy?”
A hundred voiced chimed in over the crystal intercom in his ear.
“SIR, YES SIR.”
The Night Guard and their Commander trotted up to the main entrance, the massive metal door sealing with a dull thud, a dozen reinforced metal rods latching into the surrounding mountain. Luna walked up to his side with a nod, her brow furrowing.
“Are we all set, Commander?”
Shifting nodded, his squad standing at attention as Silty Stone’s keen eyes looked over to him.
“As ready as we can be,” he then tapped the crystal communicator with a blip of magic. “Control? How are those readings looking?”
“The sensors are still tracking the disturbance…wait a moment. SIR! THEY’RE-”
The communication cut off with a screech of static, Shifting powering up an emergency communications spell that reached out to the rest of the Guard.
“All forces, report to your stations, we have incoming!”
The pony-thick door in front of them shivered, and Shifting’s eyes widened as a single, small bump raised on the rear of the massive piece of metal.
“Shifting, they’re blocking communications to the outside, along with teleportation spells. I don’t know how many there are and I can’t contact my sister,” Luna hissed, wincing as a familiar pain stabbed at her temples. “And they have disruption crystals too.”
“Get behind us. Silty? We retreat to the bunker now. Luna? That armor I commissioned for you a month ago? Time to try it out.”
“SIR!”
The Knights immediately spread into a perimeter, galloping back down the halls. As they skidded around the first corner, the door behind them shrieked, the impact of shattered metal spurring them onwards.
Shifting nearly ran face-first into a strange pony, misty eyes looking at him in surprise as a serrated knife was grasped in is magic.
The sabre at Shifting’s side didn’t even move. The Commander stepped to the side and send a pulse of leyline energy through his body and slammed the unsuspecting pony into the wall with a fatal crunch.
“Behind us!” Silty called, eyes glaring at a dozen varied creatures that swarmed down the breached entrance.
A beam of white light seared down the hallway, punching through the center of the attackers as Luna stepped forwards. Protective spells now active, the alicorn’s own armor now spun around her frame.
“I am rather tired of not being in these fights,” she growled, modified helmet pulsing with a crystal attachment. “This new helmet seems to help fight the effects of the crystals, Shifting. Well done.”
The commander grinned, drawing his sabre to filet three unfortunate reptiles who got too close.
“Time to earn our keep, Knights. Protect the Princess!”
The thestrels and unicorn let out a roar, taking place on each exposed side of Luna to cover the various tunnels that fed into the intersection. The alicorn adjusted her aim, lobbing a constant stream of savage spells that fried any enemy close enough to the shooting-star-like entities launching off Luna’s horn.
Sister, are you alright? I can’t reach you!
They sat in the throne room for a good few minutes. Celestia had convened her Legionaries and Royal Guard to an emergency meeting, and within moments they’d have a solid plan of defense. But now Nacreous seemed genuinely unsettled, the hippogriff finally sighing.
Nacreous hesitated, the last few walls seeming to break down in his mind as he let out a rather sad chuckle.
“This is stupid. Celly, the reason they were lying-”
“You don’t have to tell me unless-”
“Yes, I do!” Nacreous hissed, ears falling flat at his rough tone. “I’m sorry. I just- I want you to know. You deserve to know. I’ve kept this secret long enough, and I think it’s going to come to light sooner rather than later. You deserve to know before that.”
Celestia waited, watching as Nacreous seemed to grow a bit taller, the hippogriff taking a deep breath.
“Celestia, the one who intervened long ago? It wasn’t a she, and they weren’t from the crystal empire.” Eyes widening, Celestia could only look at her hippogriff as he continued. “And the ‘Gods?’ you already know them. Fori, Gaudi, my friends; I’m their Paladin. This nation was-”
A horrified voice suddenly echoed through the Castle’s broadcast system, making the two of them jump.
“Breach! Breach in the main hall! All Legionnaires and Royal Guards report to-”
The voice cut off as Nacreous let out a growl, familiar golden plates swirling onto his frame. Armor likewise began to adorn Celestia’s body, the Alicorn taking no chances as the distant sounds of battle reached her ears.
“Well, seems like we don’t have much time…to…” the world began to swirl in front of the Princess’s eyes, Celestia thudding to the floor as her legs promptly gave out.
“I can’t feel anything, Nacreous! I’m feeling all…numb! Can’t...sfek….” she mumbled; eyes wide in horror. Nacreous opened a few portals, yanking out a few bags and items before examining a crystal in his claw that was waved over the prone Alicorn.
“You are a magnet for drugs, Celly,” he muttered, “it’s a delayed-release neurotoxin and would be lethal in the right circumstances. Probably was in your food at that ambassadorial meal.” Nacreous took out a few large syringes from his emergency stash, dumping the contents into Celestia’s veins. “Except thankfully, it’s a very common compound. They used a dose on you that would lay out half of Canterlot. You’ll be fine though; no more than five to ten minutes of numbness and you’ll be back to fighting shape.”
“Oh, you don’t have that long.”
Nacreous whipped around as the throne doors froze solid, a familiar, ethereal mare casually shattering them with a blast from her horn. Dozens of ponies and reptilian creatures marched in behind her and three Windigos swirled around her frame with unnervingly intelligent gazes fixed on the lone pair.
“Malise Icemane,” Nacreous growled, his fully armored form tensing as he grasped a shield and familiar staff.
“My previous name is of no importance. I am the Emissary for the Windigos, and you can either surrender and die peacefully, or take a more painful route,” Malise relayed as what must have been over eighty creatures now stacked up behind her, Celestia’s eyes widening in shock.
Where are my Legionaries?! My Royal Guard?!
“Oh, and sorry about your guards, Princess. That toxin is incredibly easy to infuse into a water supply. They’re not dead, just generally useless. I suspect all they can do right now is sweat and drool,” Malise chuckled. Armor composed of pure ice froze across her frame as a series of spears and other weapons levitated into view.
“All forces? Commence the attack,” the Emissary hissed, and it was then that Celestia’s eyes widened in horror.
‘Sister! Finally! Are you alright? We are under attack, and I only have a moment, they’re jamming all magical communications! There’re hundreds here, barely holding. We have reports from all major cities and our allies- they’re all being hit by dozens of these attacks! Are you-’
The mental connection shut off as a familiar ball of red crystals were brought into the room, Malise chuckling.
“Not enough to incapacitate, but perhaps any lesser spells will be affected. Goodbye, Princess.”
“I think you’re forgetting about me, Malise,” Nacreous growled, claws having been scratching the floor with a dozen hasty runic markings. One of them ignited to form a glowing golden wall, the Emissary poking it with an icy spear dismissively.
“One versus me and my forces? Oh, and don’t forget my masters!” the Emissary crowed, the three Windigos growing in size as ice began to spread over the entire room, the shield beginning to flicker. “You are alone, Paladin.”
Nacreous grinned, glaring at the mare as four ethereal shapes began to take form.
“Malise, I’ve never been alone.”
With a rather triumphant laugh, Gaudi *popped* into full view, the kirin glaring at the shocked mare in pure glee as she floated above Nacreous’s head.
“Hi! Betcha forgot about uuuuuus! I know I’m your favorite!”
Fori strode out in front of Nacreous, two daggers clutched in her paw, Arbo standing at her side; the stallion didn’t look exactly confident but was ready for a fight nonetheless. A rather dark cackle echoed through the room, two red eyes yanking shadows into a vague, pony-like shape. Multiple limbs sprouted from his back like fanged arms, Iust trotting up to the golden shield and glaring at the Emissary almost hungrily.
“Oh, I forgot about my special-somepony. Silly meeeeeee!” Gaudi proclaimed, waving to the Windigo’s. “You all are soooooo gonna get it!”
“We can hold off the Windigos, Nacreous. Can you handle the rest?” Fori asked as Nacreous’s staff shifted into a longsword, pink edges glowing brightly.
“The antidote should take effect soon, I can manage!”
The golden shield shattered without so much as a battle cry, the Emissary and forces charging towards the small group. Fori and Arbo dodged a strike from a Windigo before tacking the creature, spinning in the air and out the nearest window with them hanging on. Gaudi sent the Emissary flying with a kick as Iust sent black shadows stabbing into the other two Windigos, the entities shrieking as dark magic began to eat across their forms.
“Don’t go anywhere, Celly,” Nacreous whispered, looking over to the horrified Alicorn and giving her a reassuring wink.
Sending four creatures flying with a swipe of his shield, Nacreous dove into the fray, lashing out with sword and limb alike. Simple shields sprang up around Celestia, letting the hippogriff know if anycreature got too close. She could only watch as her Paladin batted aside any efforts to get past him, spearing a reptile as he raised a spear for a throw.
While Celestia’s heart was torn by fear for the one she cared for most, it still soared at seeing Nacreous defending her with his life.
Caving in the skull of a reptile with a kick, Nacreous jumped into the air and swung his sword, taking the heads off another three who didn’t duck in time. For the briefest moment, it looked like the hippogriff was able to hold off the throng. Even as more creatures ran into the room the hippogriff refused to yield, jumping from side to side in order to prevent anyone from flanking his position.
“ENOUGH! Kill her!”
At the sound of the enraged Emissary, the forces split, angling even more sharply around to surround Nacreous on three sides. He retreated to stand over Celestia protectively, sword changing into a staff as a shield blossomed from the pink gem.
“I’m so sorry, Celly. I should have told you before. I just couldn’t bear it,” he whispered.
The shield extended outwards, the powerful leyline magic surging through the hippogriff’s body to provide a temporary barrier as the enemies were forced back to the middle of the throne room.
A series of pink portals each the size of a hoof opened up in front of Nacreous. The hippogriff seemed to lean on his staff briefly, as though whatever he was going to say bore a weight heavier than the castle they were occupying.
“I have never asked you all for anything, not a single request,” Nacreous began, the communications portals relaying his message to whomever was on the other side. “But I have been here for you all for a thousand years, answering your questions without fail. Are there any who remember me, I wonder? Are there any left to answer my call? Any left to fulfill their ancestral oaths to me?”
Wait. Nacreous…
“I ask for your help now. Your swords, your shields, your lives! Will you defend the Empress of the Sun? If that is not enough, will you answer my call? Defend the Empress! Defend Equestria as though it was your own home!” Nacreous barked, Malise laughing in the distance.
“The call of a Paladin? A Doctor?”
Nacreous ignored her, continuing to speak as magic began to swirl around his frame.
“Do you not remember me? Your friend? Your mediator? The one who united your ancestors in harmony amid a blizzard of hate?” His armored helmet now began to spin a circle of metal around it, smooth edges reaching skyward into a crown as Celestia’s eyes widened in utter shock.
“Do you not remember your King?”
Malise chuckled, watching as the shield began to decrease in strength. “Now, where were we? Kill-”
Her words cut off in a shriek as a spear embedded itself in her side, the force of the blow sending the mare skidding off to hit the opposite wall with a wet ‘SMACK’.
A pink portal burned its way into the stone of the castle walls, overriding the suppression field of the red crystals. The cacophony of metal on stone echoed through the room as thirty creatures thundered into the flank of the unsuspecting Windigo force. Minotaur’s, ponies, gryphons, and even a few feline forms, they all hefted pink-bladed weapons with deadly accuracy. There was no hesitation as they tore into the mercenaries and Windigo-infused ponies, a roar leaving their collective throats as a few stayed back as a rear guard.
Clad in a golden breastplate bearing three familiar circles, Brass Link trotted out, pink blades adorning his armored fetlocks.
“First Battalion Commander of the Borealis Knights, Sire,” a familiar ambassador stated, bowing to Nacreous as the happiest grin broke through his stalwart demeanor. “I apologize for the partial lies, but it was necessary.”
“I-you remember me?! How?!” Nacreous whispered, and Celestia could see his eyes brimming with tears. “That’s not possible…”
“At a later time, Sire. We will defend you and the Empress,” Brass Link stated as he galloped off to reinforce his troops with a cry.
“CHARGE!”
Celestia could feel tears in her eyes but was unable to even voice a cry due to the poison in her veins. Her hippogriff battered aside the few individuals who got through the line with sword and shield, never more than a pace from the prone Alicorn. His troops, his subjects fought as her own legionaries did, without fear or hesitation. Tearing into the stunned forces, the golden-clad reinforcements never seemed to display any fear, three constantly guarding Nacreous’s back as he made sure to watch the unfolding battle and flay any who got past the rearguard.
A king, that was your secret.
No wonder you know the pain I have born so well, and why you were so hesitant to tell me.
Instead of anger, sadness, or even disappointment, Celestia could only revel in the relief she felt, the odd moments of the past month falling into place.
The signs were there, even from our first dates. His odd manners at the dinner table, his reaction to those songs during the play, how he looked on the throne, never really telling me specifics about his village, the constant notes he answered…
You may be a king, Nacreous. But you are also my king, no matter what.
And what I would give to be your…
Celestia’s hope was frozen as a scene shimmered off to her right. Dropping a concealment spell the Emissary with eight unicorns hefted a large ice spear, their combined magic charging it up for a throw at her unprotected neck.
Nacreous spun, slamming his shield down to block the incoming projectile as they launched it.
Celestia couldn’t even voice a cry as the mirage shattered, a lone unicorn standing where the eight once did, a maniacal smile on his face. The true image resolved into view to her left, the Emissary grinning as the group shot the true weapon past her.
Turning in a last-ditch effort to deflect the spear, Nacreous let out a cry as the spear punched through a thin section of his armor, burrowing a forelimb’s length deep before snapping off. His armor let out a warning chime, fail-safe spells activating and sending magic swirling around the hippogriff as he flopped to the ground, staff and shield clattering to the floor. His eyes briefly met Celestia’s, and the Alicorn felt her heart crack as pain swirled in her hippogriff’s gaze.
“MEDIC!”
As the cry went up from Brass Link, three unicorns teleporting back to their King as the previously-hidden group were set upon by the furious reinforcements. The Emissary vanished, reappearing behind her forces as magical runes began to skitter up and down the walls.
Nacreous…
Celestia was helpless, destined to watch as the three medics attached a series of pink crystals around the wound, ice already beginning to spread from the impact site.
“Pawn takes King. Checkmate!” Malise crowed, pouring magic into a teleportation spell charging that would encompass the entire throne room. Celestia could feel the dark magic spreading to yank every occupant to some unknown location.
Brass Link threw a small crystal at Celestia, the simple spell effectively protecting her from the transportation runes. The Commander scrawled his own rune near Nacreous, the disruption spell combatting the teleportation magic. Celestia desperately sought to activate her own arcane spells, anything to stop this.
No…
Don’t leave!
“Badlands!” Nacreous groaned in reminder as he raised his head to look at the Princess. The pain in his eyes made Celestia’s heart break, a mist flickering across his eyes as he sagged back to the ground as the Windigo magic sought to take hold.
NO!
The entire company of Nacreous, his forces, and the Emissary’s army vanished with enough power to singe the walls. All that was left was Celestia prone on the floor as her Legionnaire Commander staggered through the broken doors with a small detachment.
“Highness, most guards have been poisoned, completely out of commission. I gathered who I-Princess!” Tempered Steel exclaimed, sweat pouring from his brow at the effort as the shock troops fanned out. Tempered cast a simple spell to examine his Princess, letting out a sigh of relief.
“Antidote already administered? The same one we used; what happened here?!”
Tears poured from Celestia’s eyes as the full weight of the situation came crashing down, time seeming to slow.
Nacreous.
He’s gone.
Come back….
Please.
Reaching out to her sun, Celestia sought a simple connection, anything to burn the poison from her blood, yet even as her Commander shattered the remaining red crystals her mind was numbed from action.
Anything! I can’t just lie here!
The antidote was slowly taking affect but her connection to the sun was still frozen, the faucet refusing to respond.
Please. I can’t let him…
The thought remained uncompleted; the idea struck genuine fear into the Alicorn’s soul. Tempered’s words were muffled, Celestia begging again to her sun as though it could reach down to help her.
Please.
Inexplicably, the connection was made. Her sun reached out to the familiar presence, allowing a single drip of power to flow from the well-worn faucet. Be it said by the magical celestial body or the Princess’s own mind, she wasn’t sure, but two words hammered into her consciousness with deafening blows.
SAVE HIM!
The world returned to clarity, Celestia’s heartbeat thudding in her ears as power surged through her frame, fur beginning to stand on end as the Princess’s magic reached out across her domain.
Thump-thump
Can’t teleport, disruption fields in all cities and allies. Have to get to badlands by other means.
Thump-thump
Luna, she needs me! Forces inside the safehouse…
Thump-thump
I have no time. I need to move.
Thump-thump
MOVE, Celly!
With a surge of arcane energy, Celestia envisioned the faucet of solar power in her mind, turning it open all the way…and then tore the entire apparatus from the wall.
Tempered Steel had only heard stories, ancient tales of Celestia’s true might. Only once were the Legionaries given a glimpse of Celestia’s full power, or as much as they could see at least. The memory was burned into his mind, a pillar of fire with eyes that could melt the very foundations of Canterlot. It had been a single snapshot, for any longer would have destroyed the powerful shields around the recruits.
That sight paled in comparison to the ruler that stood in front of him now.
Her violet eyes now burned as the surface of the sun, Celestia’s fur rolling with white flames as her mane waved in an unseen wind, pastel hues changing into rolling flames of a similar color. Golden armor melted across her body, replacing the previous adornments with a more jagged and animalistic curve. Seared on the breastplate was a simple rune that mirrored the mark on Celestia’s flank. The floor around the Alicorn began to bubble and crack, a loud hum building in volume as Celestia’s muscles coiled like a tight spring. Solar winds surged from the Princess’s body and charged upwards through the melting roof towards the distant sun, the rippling streamers barely contained by golden shields that snapped into existence and barely protected the rest of the room.
A single sentence left the Legionnaire’s lips, one not spoken in generations.
“Code Supernova!”
“How you holding up, Silty?” Shifting called as he yanked his sabre from a dead gryphon, sides heaving as leyline magic surged into his armor.
“Quite a workout, Sir. But they’re not stopping. Look- they’re all gathering there…” Silty remarked, gesturing down the tunnel. No fewer than a hundred ponies were packed together, powerful shields layering over every line of ten that stood shoulder to shoulder. Luna’s spells were deflected, the Alicorn not able to use more power for fear of collapsing the mountain.
“So. A final charge then?” Shifting growled, standing between his mare and the incoming Windigo Forces. While magic continued to bolster his movements, the stallion knew it couldn’t last forever. As fast as he was, numbers would eventually overwhelm them here.
“Let’s push down one of the side tunnels. Silty? Clear us a path, I’ll hold off this lot.”
The stallion let out a hiss, a needle-like magical strike punching through his armor as it tore through their own shields. The conglomerate of ponies in the tunnel were smart; using a dozen unicorns to power a single strike that reached out like a dagger. Thankfully it had only torn into his forelimb this time.
“We need to move. Princess? We need...to…” Shifting’s words drifted off as Luna’s eyes were wide with horror at some unspoken message.
“ALL GUARDS, BRACE FOR IMPACT!” Luna bellowed, her voice blasting through the tunnels and communicators alike.
As the hundred-strong army charged towards them, the Lunar Knights activated their own shields and huddled around Luna, her own magic weaving about to encase them in a thick protective layer that darkened their view to near-nothingness.
Something impacted the mountain, waves of heat scorching the pony’s fur even through the shields. The ground itself shattered and warped, angry orange cracks radiating out from a point somewhere in front of the group.
Silence then greeted the Lunar Knights as the shield dropped. Shifting could only stare at the blue sky in front of them, the tunnel and entire entrance to their mountain fortress having simply vanished. It was as though an ice-cream scoop had been taken out of it, the edges dripping with molten stone and metal. The enemy was only visible at the base of the mountain, a dozen ponies hastily galloping away in fear. As molten stone continued to drip from the hole carved out of the mountain, a single cry with a thousand years of determination and longing echoed after the meteor that soared away towards the south.
“NACREOUS!”
Celestia’s Flight:
Music Option 1
Music Option 2
Thump-thump
Her blood was on fire.
Celestia could barely direct her body’s flight, the raw energy pouring from her wings setting the atmosphere on fire. Tears steamed from her eyes as they evaporated, her loyal legionnaires following with but a fraction of her speed. The heavens were torn open with fiery tongues from Vanhoover to Fillydelphia, the edges of the sky burned away by the meteor that soared southwards. The Legionnaires followed as best they could, zipping closed the jagged gash in the heavens even as Celestia blasted onwards, solar flares burning from every outstretched feather in Celestia’s wings. The sun itself was outshone by the comet that scorched across Equestria’s skies, the event prompting auroras to shine even in the Dragon Lands.
A thousand years I’ve hoped in the darkest, most sacred parts of my mind for someone like Nacreous.
And now to lose him? I can’t…
I WON’T!
Thump-thump
The faucet analogy was gone from Celestia’s mind, in its place was a broken water main pouring into her very soul. She soaked it up, using every scrap of it to fuel her flight south. The Ice King had not seen even a scrap of this power, not even close. It hadn’t been needed even if she had wanted to.
But for the one I love?
The sound barrier had been broken as soon as Celestia shattered half of the throne room with her departure. A rogue thunderstorm in her path evaporated to steam as the enraged Alicorn punched through it. Powerful shields prevented windows from shattering far below, but even those were at their limit. Any creature to look up had to immediately glance away from the sight, and the sonic boom rattled buildings and bodies alike.
Hold on, Nacreous!
The thought of never feeling his arms around her again.
Thump-thump
His cheerful eyes as he gave her a kiss, at long last.
Thump-thump
The simple safety his presence provided.
Celestia’s eyes narrowed to slits, flames beginning to lick around the edges as fangs grew ever so slightly in her mouth. The solar winds raging from her wings intensified as the ground below her became nothing but a blur.
I would give anything to be by his side, and anyone who stands in my way… I’ll burn them all, the entire Badlands if I have to!
But a few moments had passed since her departure, no more than a minute or two. Even now she was crossing Dodge City, searing the sky south towards her destination where the magical signatures were gathered. Her enhanced vision soon picked up the scene, and Celestia dove.
Hang on, Nacreous!
I’m not letting go!
“Hold the line!” Brass Link bellowed, looking over to the three medics as they ministered to their fallen King. “Status?”
“We’re burning through our crystals like mad, Sir. I don’t know how long we can forestall the spell. Our own personal magic won’t last nearly as long; it’ll consume him as soon as we run out!”
“And that’s assuming they don’t get here first,” Brass muttered, bracing himself against a spear. In the distance, not four hoofball fields away stood an army that spread out like the waves of an angry ocean. Bipedal golems riving the size of a Manehatten office building lumbered with icy limbs onward, hundreds, thousands of mercenaries, corrupted ponies, and even an odd gryphon or two charging towards the thirty-odd Knights.
The Windigos had amassed a formidable army indeed, and they had played their cards perfectly it would seem. The disruption spell had saved the defenders from appearing in the middle of the throng, but it would seem their reprieve would be short lived.
“We don’t let them pass!” Brass bellowed, bracing for the inevitable onslaught.
A thousand years of waiting to see my King; he will not die on my watch!
A familiar form swirled into existence within a stone’s throw of the group, the Emissary chuckling as she gestured to the wall of golden shields.
“I don’t suppose you’ll surrender? I just want the hippogriff,” she offered, then shrugged her shoulders as no reply reached her ears.
Wait. What was that?!
“Very well. Then die with-”
CRAAAAACK!
The Knights were deafened by the soundwave, a massive force sending the Emissary spiraling off into the distance. She hit a nearby rock formation with enough force to split it in half, her body vanishing in a puff of smoke.
Standing in her place, the creature that looked at Brass Link made his heart stop.
The Solar Empress.
Her eyes bore into his soul, Celestia’s wings extended out and radiating heat that melted the very rock on which she stood. A glowing furrow was etched into the rocky ground from where she had slammed into the Emissary and even now a massive golden shield blossomed from Celestia’s horn to force the approaching army to a standstill. A column of fire ignited in front of the barrier, the image of two eyes blazing with rage and vengeance hovering across the arcane shield and glaring at the nervous army that dared challenge her. A small sun gathered on the tip of Celestia’s horn and blasted towards the enemy forces, impacting their front units with enough power to send molten rock spraying to the rear guard as a hundred creatures turned into ash.
*Pause music*
“Empress,” Brass whispered, bowing his head as the Alicorn turned to look at him briefly.
Trotting forward, Celestia’s fire seemed to become more refined, no longer an inferno but that of a welder’s torch on seeing her hippogriff. A different, ancient magic began to ignite along her limbs before Celestia’s logic held it fast. A single train of thought nearly muffled the Ambassador’s words.
If it is your wish, Nacreous, I can rip the veil off mortality and yank you back myself. What I would give to keep you here with me…
But only if you want that too. I care for you too much to hurt you with selfishness.
The old spells stayed in standby as the Alicorn shook her head, a few hot tears evaporating into steam as she refocused on the still-breathing Paladin, her fear fading as reality came to the forefront of her focus.
“Nacreous?” she asked, now standing over him, horn beginning to charge with magic. Power began to gather around her body before an earth pony waved a hoof frantically.
“Highness! No healing spells! Those would disrupt our magic and won’t work!” a medic hastily blurted out. “The spear, it’s a physical wound but a magical one as well. We can stabilize him until we get out of here but we’re running out of crystals.”
“Explain.”
The medic levitated one of the items out, showing it to the Princess.
“It’s like the Crystal Heart in a way. It collects positive emotion and stores it. We use them to counteract the Windigo magic, based on hate and the like. We brought enough for an entire battalion but this spear’s spell is extremely potent. We’re running out.”
“How do I help?”
The medic paused, gesturing to a few discarded crystals, some of which were set on poles like torches and were pulsing with a dim, white light.
“If you know the King in any positive sense, please channel that into the crystals. Anything will help at this point. A friendly conversation, a simple hello. We just need a diverse amount of positive emotion, any-”
Celestia waved the medic aside, levitating all of the crystals together. A few tears dripped from her eyes, this time not evaporating as the fire around her body cooled even further.
“A positive sense? Nacreous, he…” she whispered, crouching down to look at the hippogriff as words caught in the Alicorn’s throat. He stirred, reaching out to grasp Celestia’s hoof. The Princess’s sides shook as she pressed her forehead against his, her hoof shaking in the Paladin’s claws.
“Nacreous, please hang in there, I can’t lose you. I won’t lose you…” she whispered. Celestia didn’t even notice as every crystal began to glow a bright white, and then a furious, almost rebellious pink hue that rivaled her sun as sparks erupted from each container.
Brass Link could only stare as Celestia reached down to give Nacreous a kiss, the Commander’s features widening into a smile.
“Highness! We can work more, we need time to stabilize him!” one of the Medic’s exclaimed, staring at the crystals in surprise. “I had no idea you and the King…no matter. Please, we need room and time to work!”
As Celestia reluctantly turned to leave, Nacreous gave her hoof a squeeze.
“Go get ‘em, Sunspots.”
A relieved laugh left Celestia’s muzzle, the alicorn’s lips trembling.
“You finally thought up a good nickname...I love it.”
Nacreous nodded, laying back down with a wince as Brass Link approached the Princess.
“Empress, we have reinforcements inbound. We didn’t anticipate such heavy magical interference and suppression, so it will take at least five minutes to get the portals calibrated, maybe ten.”
*Resume Music*
“I’ll buy you twenty,” Celestia growled, her form igniting with fire once again. Six magical entities appeared, each a golden alicorn with the surface of the sun spreading across their frames. Faceless and featureless, the golems trotted out to circle the thirty defenders, carving a burning line in the sand with their horns.
“Those arcane creatures will help you. Do not stray beyond that line!” Celestia ordered, Brass saluting as the Alicorn trotted out towards the army. Ancient spells weaved around Celestia’s frame as she pulled a sword out from an invisible scabbard. She could see Malise reforming again at the head of her army, gesturing angrily towards the golden shield.
You’re mine, WITCH!
Another barrier now activated however; Celestia’s legionaries finally igniting the magical containment fields around the entire battlefield. Each activation rune was crewed by two of the loyal shock troops, but as past conflicts had demonstrated the barrier wasn’t to contain the opposing army.
It won’t be enough this time.
You’ll get it all. Every scrap of power I can muster.
Celestia charged her horn, taking a deep breath and letting loose. A fireball shot from her entire body, coalescing into a rolling, burning projectile that turned the ground beneath it into bubbling lava. It didn’t even let the opposing enemies scream, simply turning them into ash where they stood. The miniature sun tore through the entirety of the enemy lines without even slowing down, burning away Malise’s new body with barely a puff of steam. It then impacted the barrier with a dull thud, the golden shield cracked.
Her body quickly reforming as three Windigo’s sent a wave of power through it, Malise smiled in the distance, waving a hoof behind her. Celestia let out a snort, seeing a few towns in the distance spread out behind the army.
Smart mare, or so she thinks. I can’t use my full power in case I punch through the shield.
But you chose the badlands, one of the most remote areas available. Save those few towns…
I don’t have to hold back; I just have to aim.
Starting off at a trot, Celestia’s gait switched to a gallop, propelling her faster than most ponies could see. The simple gilded sword was held out at her side, the Alicorn jumping into the air and charging another blast.
“You cannot have him!” she hissed, following her strike down to the ground and spraying the opponents with molten stone as she dashed forwards.
I’ve faced worse odds, but never with this much at stake.
I won’t take any chances, not for Him.
To the naked eye, all that was visible was an explosion of rock and molten glass that erupted across the entire army. Bodies were turned to paste as bone shattered with every blow Celestia connected with. Her sword was like a seamstress’s needle, darting in and out with lethal abandon at any exposed neck or ribcage. The Emissary watched from the rear lines, directing her forces with angry gestures.
And yet fear had begun to creep into the corrupted pony’s frame as her army began to crumble, eaten away at its core by the Solar Princess. Celestia’s attacks were seemingly random, ripping through the front lines one moment and then annihilating a center column the next. Any creatures who tried to dash forward towards the prone Hippogriff met their fate first however. It was quickly beginning to spread chaos throughout the previously-organized forces.
Ten unicorns stood fast, charging a shield as Celestia’s path of destruction turned towards them. The barrier didn’t even crack, instead vanishing into mist as the pony’s followed suite, Celestia carving through their formation with a concentrated arcane beam.
The attack hit the distant golden wall however, cleanly parting the containment shield and narrowly missing the town.
Celestia’s flaming eyes narrowed as the army shifted, focusing their formations to align with the various towns to avoid a full-on strike.
Clever, but not enough.
Jumping into the air, Celestia charged another beam, searing the ground into glass as a skyscraper-tall ice golem charged forth. Its blocky arm reared back to deliver a crushing blow, and Celestia met it head on. Her own strike shattered the creature’s arm and shattered it into pieces that rained down on the panicked army below. The flurry of punches that followed deconstructed the titanic Golem into pebbles, the Alicorn then flying back to Nacreous’s guard.
The army was now close, too close for Celestia to attack again with a wider attack. Circling around the prone King and his guards, every side now held hundreds of enemies that charged forwards.
The six alicorn entities engaged the nearest creatures with disturbing ruthlessness, their various magical attacks neatly cutting creatures into pieces or shattering them to ash. Celestia operated just outside their reach, running in a constant, expanding circle to prevent any creatures from getting close to the thirty Knights. The few unlucky Windigo soldiers who threw a spear or projectile at the group was immediate targeted, their location obliterated by a flaming ball of glass heaved their way.
Celestia’s sides heaved, sweat dripping from her alabaster fur as she continued to fight. The army shifted again, coalescing at various points to try and punch through instead of all at once. Always moving, always trying to find a weakness, it was an endeavor in and of itself to keep track of. Every so often a haphazard swing of a blade would nick her hide or a spell would crack her shields.
And yet it wasn’t enough, not even close.
The alicorn promptly dug a hole into the ground, her head barely visible above it. As the army charged forwards, the Emissary couldn’t pull them back fast enough as a beam of energy blasted out from below and towards the sky. incinerating the dozens of creatures close enough to try and attack the Princess.
And then they moved again, sending Celestia on a chase to head off their attacks that now split into multiple prongs. But she was faster than them all.
The power of the sun courses through my veins, and you dare think this army is a worthy challenge? For the one I love, THIS is what you dare challenge me with?
But Celestia was no fool. Already a few creatures had gotten past her and the Solar Sentinels, the thirty Knights easily dispatching them. It was a matter of attrition; thousands of creatures throwing themselves in blind obedience towards their goal in the hopes of one lucky strike.
I can’t stop.
I WON’T stop!
I’ll burn this entire continent if I have to! A shield to protect them, and then I’ll turn this entire land into glass!
A large Windigo charged the small contingent and Celestia met it without so much as a moment of hesitation. Her eyes still bursting with flames, the Alicorn clamped down on the creature’s neck with her teeth and drove it back down to the ground. The hate-fueled Windigo let out a horrified whinny as her flaming sword gutted it from wispy torso to soulless eyes.
For Nacreous, I’ll-
A magical surge caught the Princess’s attention, a dozen pink portals opening around the defenders as Brass Link and his Knights cheered.
“Reinforcements!”
With hoof-falls that made the ground shake, a battalion of impossibly tall ponies galloped through followed by normal sized creatures of all types. As they neared, Celestia saw that they weren’t ponies, but massive metal suits larger than she was. Their golden metal heads were blank, shining with a familiar three-circled symbol as spells pulsed around their bodies, the occupants inside the titanic battle suits battering aside an attacker with barely a flinch of their mechanically-controlled limbs as cogs whirred and crystals hummed.
“Dreadnaughts!” the call went out from the defenders, another portal opening up high above the group. From it a battalion-strong of armored pegesi and gryphons dove through, aiming towards the rearguard of the opposing army.
From the ground portals hundreds of ponies galloped out, all clad in golden armor with three emblazoned circles. Only this time there were three additional symbols, one added to each portion of the design.
Celestia’s eyes widened in surprise, and then a few tears began to gather as she fought down her emotions.
A sun.
A moon.
And a heart.
As more reinforcements charged through the portals, Celestia readied her sword as she let fire flicker from her frame.
I haven’t done this in generations, and yet…
The ground cracked underneath her hooves as the Alicorn charged forwards, solar winds fueling her flight as a single word left her mouth in a furious roar.
“CHARGE!”
The hundreds of voices that rose behind Celestia in a roar didn’t abate as they slammed into the horrified Windigo forces. The entire front line collapsed in a blind panic as the defenders now ripped through the panicked ponies and gryphons, Malise herself having to gallop forward to rally them in a defensive line.
Reappearing back at Brass Link’s side, Celestia gestured towards the distant ice mare with a growl.
“How do I kill her for good?”
Letting out a whistle, Brass Link hoofed over a large battle-axe, pink blades shimmering gently.
“Use one of our weapons and channel your own emotions into it. You cannot kill her with hate and the crystals won’t respond to it. Use as strong a containment spell as you can and then strike her with it. If her energy cannot escape it will be dispersed by the weapon,” he then paused, gesturing to Nacreous as the hippogriff let out a groan, a dozen medics now at his side.
“If I may, Empress, focus on your feelings for the King. Burn the Witch from this land with them!” he stated with a determined growl, Celestia nodding curtly as she took a deep breath.
“Carry on, Commander.”
Celestia was then off, her aura vaporizing any enemies in her way as a single target occupied her vision. The ground turned to glass with a single flap of her wings, a crater blowing aside a dozen foes as she launched herself with a final leap.
I’ve had enough of you!
Malise was effortlessly snatched away by the enraged Alicorn, Celestia punching through her own containment shield to pin the squirming mare to a rock outcropping a dozen miles away. The Alicorn’s horn ignited with power, containment barriers layering themselves one after another around the pair as Malise’s eyes widened in horror. Five, ten, a dozen, the shields stacked on each other over and over again as Celestia levitated the large battle axe above the pony.
No hate, but I’m not that strong though; I can’t banish such feelings completely.
But I can focus on something stronger.
Nacreous…what would I do to save your life? To be in your arms once again?
The crystal weapon shed its pink magic, soaking up Celestia’s emotions like a sponge. The bright light made Malise close her eyes, the mare struggling to break free. Two Windigo’s dove towards them, but even their vain efforts were unable to do more than scratch Celestia’s shields.
To be held in your embrace and know that everything is alright?
Giving you a kiss to make sure you know how much I care.
I want to spend a thousand years with you- no, many more than that. I don’t know what the future holds, but I know I want to be there with you through it all!And nocreature will take that future from me!
Malise looked up to the Princess that stood above her, tears streaking the alicorn’s face as she swung the axe high. The corrupted pony didn’t even cry for mercy, for the face that looked down at her bore no argument.
“You tried to kill the one I love,” Celestia whispered, sending the charged axe down with a blow that tore through the mare’s figure, shattered the stone underneath Malise’s body. The hateful magic evaporated from the mare, spinning around inside the shields over and over again. The axe’s own power radiated from its blade like a miniature sun, scorching the evil mare’s essence from the earth with a final, tortured scream. The Windigos surrounding the shields met a similar fate, Celestia flying up to cut through their frames with the axe as well. As they vanished into the limbo, the Alicorn saw their remaining forces immediately huddle together, the now clear-eyed ponies throwing down their arms in immediate surrender.
A pity they were not fully controlled. They made a conscious choice.
Celestia looked down at the axe, then spreading her wings to soar back to her hippogriff.
And I made mine.
A cry went up from around Nacreous, the hippogriff now standing as unicorns continued to probe his wound with magic.
“VICTORY!”
Celestia didn’t even try to maintain a semblance of decorum, landing in front of her love and giving him a passionate kiss. She knew Nacreous could feel her hooves shake, for they were held all the tighter as he pulled her close.
“Thank you, Celestia,” he whispered, the alicorn shaking her head. Her words were muddled, and she could only cry out a single soft sentence.
“How could I not save the one I love?”
I didn’t lose you.
And I never will.
